PPP supports vision Azm-e-Istehkam: Shazia Marri

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary Information Shazia Marri confirmed her party’s support for the Vision Azm-e-Istehkam against terrorism, ARY News reported.

“The PPP has always been against terrorism and extremism, and has made significant sacrifices in the fight against terrorism,” Shazia Marri said while speaking to media.

However, she emphasised that all political parties should be taken on board regarding the operation, adding that that PPP wants a political dialogue on the issue.

The PPP leader also stressed that the state must respond to those who challenge its authority, and that the operation is necessary to eliminate terrorism.

“The country cannot progress until terrorism is eradicated,” she added.

Shazia Marri said that the PPP will continue to support the operation against terrorism.

She said that the Nation has sacrificed 80,000 lives for peace, adding that the action against terrorism is necessary which cannot be stopped by ‘blackmailing’.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif ruled out any large-scale military operation under the vision Azm-e-Istehkam, saying that ongoing Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs) will be intensified.

Speaking at the federal cabinet meeting called on to take the members into confidence about the prevailing ‘misunderstanding and speculations’ about the Azm-e-Istehkam, the prime minister said that instead of any large-scale operation, the already ongoing intelligence-based kinetic operations would be energised.

PM Shehbaz said that the Azm-e-Istehkam is a multi-domain and whole-of-system national vision aimed at decisively rooting out the nebulous and shadowy presence of remnants of terrorists, and violent extremism.

“A large-scale armed operation would require displacement and the initiation of such an operation under Vision Azm-i-Istehkam is merely a misunderstanding, ”he added.